Creating Seed Cards as Gifts

Welcome to the Kids Korner- the place where we show you how to bring your little ones into the garden. Each month we bring you ideas on how to spend time with your children, how to embrace their creativity and enable you to spend quality time with them.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: Moderate, parental guidance required for some tasks.

Why seeded cards?

We believe that the month of Love should be celebrated fully All month, and in so saying, here is a project that can be done at any stage, and used as gifts all year round! Spread the gardening love this month, and into the rest of the year!

This DIY activity is moderately easy but adults need to oversee the use of special equipment. Seed paper is paper that has small seeds embedded into it. When the paper is placed on soil and watered, the paper decomposes whilst the seeds germinate and sprout seedlings which will grow into mature plants.

Which seeds should we use?

It’s simple enough to use seed from the garden, readily available from bolted veggies, dandelions, sunflowers etc. There is also the option to buy packets of seed from Lifestyle Home Garden and create magical seed cards with surprise flower and veggie seed mixes.

Plan this part ahead to see what can be sown together, what works together in beds and pots (see our blog on Companion Gardening |HERE|) and what you think people would enjoy receiving. Mixes of seasonal herbs, veggie mixes, or wild flower mixes are particularly lovely.

This DIY activity is fairly easy to make as it does not require any use of special equipment, and the use of hot water should always be overseen.

Seed paper is paper that has small seeds embedded into it. When the paper is placed into shallow soil and watered, the paper decomposes whilst the seeds germinate and sprout seedlings which will grow into mature plants. Watch our video below about Sowing Seeds:

How do we start with our Biodegradable Seed cards?

You will need:

• Assorted types of recyclable paper which may include but are not limited to tissue paper, egg cartons, newspapers and scraps of unprinted paper.
• Flower seeds
• Mixing bowl/dish
• Towel or cloth
• An old picture frame
• Pantyhose
• A tray
• A blender (Preferably use an old blender)
• For natural ink/paint consider using beets, carrots, berries, or other strong pigmented fruits/vegetables
• Ruler/Scissor

Method for activity

Step 1: Prepping your paper

Collect your assorted paper scraps, cut or tear them into small pieces and place them in a covered bowl/dish with hot water. Ensure the level of water does not allow the paper to dry out, and soak for at least 8 hours.

Step 2: Blending

After your paper has soaked, blend it with some of its soaking water until it’s completely pulp. Should you decide to work with a lot of paper, make sure to blend the paper in batches.

• Pour your pulp into a mixing bowl and add enough water to make it settle 10 cm deep.
• Add your natural dye to your pulp,(we chose to use beetroot juice) and stir well.
• Sprinkle about a teaspoon of flower seeds into the mixture. DO NOT BLEND! Stir them only.

Step 3: Prepping the Frame

Clean your old frame by removing any excess material like glass, staples or any nails carefully. Take your pantyhose and stretch 1 leg over the frame. Stretch and adjust it until it’s tightly and evenly pulled across the frame. Tie a knot to keep it in place.

Step 4: Forming the paper

• Sprinkle a few more seeds on onto your screen then pour the paper pulp over the screen.
• Use your fingers to spread the paper around into a rough rectangular shape. How thick you make the paper is up to you. Keep in mind that the thicker it is, the longer it will take to dry. If it takes too long to dry, there’s a chance your seeds could sprout or get ruined.

Step 5: Absorb the excess water

Place a towel underneath your screen and firmly press down on the back of the pantyhose to further remove excess water.

Step 6: Allow the paper to dry

Now leave these to dry completely! This takes different lengths of time, depending on how hot and humid it is where you live. Once your paper is dry, peel it off the screen. You may need a knife or other thin object to help get the edges started.

Step 7: Make your card

Using a ruler to help crease these makes it a lot easier to fold, since they’re thick and sometimes have seeds in the way of the crease. Trim the edges as desired using a scissor or ruler. Decorate the card as desired and share the wonder of seed paper & reduced paper waste.

Growing your card

To grow the card: Dig a hole large enough for the card to be flat. You can tear the card into pieces to fit smaller areas such as a pot.  Water the card thoroughly, cover with soil, and then water again. The paper will compost into the soil and help hold moisture until the seeds start to grow.

Depending on your what seeds you used, you should start seeing sprouts within 7- 14 days and flowers after 8- 12 weeks.

Have you read our previous Kids Korner post? We discussed in detail how to get your kids into the garden. Read more |HERE|

We would love to see what you and your children get up to in the garden! Tag us on Instagram using the hashtags  #lifestylehomegarden and #lifestylekidskorner and the tag @LifestyleHomeGarden so that we can see your posts!

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